In mail processing, it is usually necessary at some point to separate or singulate the documents one from the other. Most present day devices are designed to singulate mail pieces which fall within a given size range, such as letter mail. As a result, these devices are not capable of handling mixed mail comprising, for example, (in addition to letters), flats, magazines, newspapers, etc.
The singulation device of the reference patent separates documents, including flat mail pieces, arranged and presented to it in stack form, by using multiple stages. The latter includes a drop ledge, a friction roller, and a vacuum roller. The stacks of mail are previously oriented and faced so that an operator can view them after singulation. The singulation stages are situated in a confined area and are necessarily limited in number.
It will be appreciated that the singulator of the reference patent may be used successfully in many applications. However, a need existed for a singulator capable of processing same time, it must be highly reliable with a negligible doubles rate and must be easy to maintain.
The singulator of the present invention described hereinafter fills these requirements.